Surfer

5 Signs You're Dehydrated … Besides Just Being Thirsty

By Jake Howard,

1 day ago

Just because you’ve been floating around in the water all day doesn’t mean you’re not dehydrated . In fact, you’re probably exceptionally dehydrated after all that surfing, paddling and general shredding. Hours in the sun and salt can deplete your fluids to dangerous levels, and no, a couple of Bintangs with the boys after your session isn’t how you should be re-hydrating.

Consider for a minute that two-thirds of the human body is comprised of water. Proper hydration is critical for proper brain, kidney and other body functions. It’s commonly agreed upon that an adult male should consume a minimum of eight eight-ounce glasses of water every day to stay properly hydrated. This doesn’t take into account exercise levels or your environment. If you’ve been surfing all afternoon under the Mexican or Indonesian sun you may want to add a few more glasses of water to that equation.

It’s been said that if you start feeling thirsty you’re already dehydrated. The following are some other signs and symptoms of dehydration that could help keep you out of trouble:

Headache

Headaches are one of the main signs of dehydration. If you find yourself getting frequent headaches it may be because you’re not drinking enough water. Without getting too mired in the medicine, basically your brain sits in a fluid bath in your skull. The more dehydrated you are the less fluid your brain has to protect it.

Lethargy

If you’re feeling like your energy levels are low or that you’re sluggish, this could be a sign you’re not getting enough water. There are a lot of causes of exhaustion, including lack of sleep, stress, being over worked, but dehydration also falls into this category. And remember, the best thing you can drink is water. Avoid drinks with sugar and caffeine as they can both exacerbate the situation.

Hunger

If you’re feeling hungry, eat a good meal, and shortly afterwards are still hungry, chances are you haven’t had enough fluids. This symptom can be manifested in the form of food cravings as well. When you’re dehydrated, the body struggles to utilize glycogen from its energy stores, and thus wants to keep putting more food into the body. This is especially true with sugary foods, which the body uses for quick energy. Instead, go for a snack that’s more water-dense (i.e. watermelon, cucumbers, etc).

Dry Skin

Less water in the body means reduced blood flow. Reduced blood flow leads to less moisture to the skin. Subsequently, the more dehydrated you become the drier and irritated your skin may become.

Decreased Urine Output

It makes sense that you’re not going to have to pee as much as the fluid levels in your body drop. For the most part your urine should be clear or slightly yellow, but as you become dehydrated the less fluid you’ll experience a lower and lower urine volume and it will be more yellowish than normal. This is a sure sign you need to start pounding water as soon as possible.

And there you have it, making sure you’re getting enough water while you’re in the water can be a life saver. Drink up and happy surfing.